Course Outline:

This course is for those with very little or no knowledge of Japanese. Students will learn to understand, express and read simple words and phrases and take part in straightforward conversation. The aim is to introduce you to the basic linguistic skills and culture necessary for you to communicate simply but effectively. After completing this course students will be able to pronounce competently some vocabulary, expressions, intonations and pronunciations, be able to communicate using basic sentences, interrogatives and requests, have some basic grammatical concepts: nouns, adjectives and verbs and sentence structure, have some basic reading skills, be able to appreciate the Japanese culture and have confidence in using basic forms of the Japanese language. Come and enjoy this practical conversational course. Based on a practical approach and dealing with everyday situations, it is ideal if you are intending to travel for leisure.

Students will also learn how to identify simple text (hiragana and katakana) confidently, converse using negatives and questions, exchange information in a variety of familiar situations, have better fluency in conversation, have a more extensive vocabulary content, gain better learning skills and strategies for language acquisition and have a better knowledge of the countries, culture and customs where Japanese is spoken. In each session there will be emphasis given to pronunciation (in groups and pairs), which will enhance one’s fluency. Additional materials may be used in the classroom (printed documents, YouTube videos etc.) to help you understanding better and quicker.   

We will cover topics below, these divided into 8 lessons in one term.  

Topics include

• Introduction Japanese (Japanese letters -  Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji, Basic greetings, Useful phrases)
• Japanese sentence structures
• What is your name? Addressing yourself and others 
• Country of Origin and Occupations - Where are you from? basic communicative expressions in formal and familiar forms
• What is this? Who is this? (Names of food items, drink items, words for family and relatives)
• How old are you? - how to count numbers 1-100 in Japanese (extra documents will be provided)
• Whose bag is this? - possession, ownership, The “no” concept, location names, demonstrative word (koko, soko, asoko)
• How much is this pen? - asking prices, how to count numbers in Japanese 200-30,000
• What time is it? - how to ask and tell time, honorific words, how to make a reservation
• Do you like sushi? - talking about your hobbies
• Adjectives - i-adjectives and na-adjectives
• Verbs in sentences 
• Adverbs, colours and sizes
• Where are you going? - Map of Japan
• When did you come? - Year/Month/Date/Day

What to Bring:

 Practical Japanese - Basic Expressions for Living and Travel - Kiyomi Ogawa 

This textbook is available at Kinokuniya Bookstore (online or actual store purchase - approx $45) please check the stock of item with them  

Please acknowledge that the text book has quite a large volume of information, unfortunately we are unable to cover whole contents of the book in 8 classes.

We will continue learning and will finish this book in Stage 2.

If you’d like to continue learning at Stage 2, please also place the order at same time:

Practical Japanese 2 - JLTP N4 Grammar and useful expressions - Kiyomi Ogawa (approx $45)

Both of the books are very good materials for learning on your own, Mami strongly recommend you to have them even though you’re not willing to keep learning in Stage 2. 

 Notepad, pens, pencils and markers

 Please note: make sure you check with the college if the course has definitely got the numbers to run before purchasing a text book, note pad etc. The college will not accept responsibility if you have purchased the text book and the course is subsequently cancelled. You can contact us on phone (9970 1000) or email (enquiries@nbmc.nsw.edu.au) to see if the course is running or not.

About the Tutor:

Mami Himura Cheng

Mami Himura Cheng is a Japanese national, born, grew up, and was fully educated in Hokkaido, Japan. Mami immigrated to Australia in 2007 and has been living in Sydney as a permanent resident
ever since. Mami worked as a librarian at a public library in Japan for 5 years and had 11 years’ experience in a career as a ZUMBA Fitness instructor all around the Northern Beaches area. Mami is
also teaching Japanese to children with a Japanese background at the local community language school. Mami’s finished Cert 3 in Business course at NBCA in June 2022 and currently working as a
medical receptionist at a local medical centre ever since.
Mami loves to create a fun, friendly and engaging atmosphere in the class. She is excited to share her aspects and knowledge with you all, and keen for you to gain a deeper understanding of
Japanese language and its culture.